The Secrets Of The Second Time 'Round
by blushingbeauty86
Summary: The second best story ye'll ever have the pleasure of readin'. An' I mean tha' in the chronological sense, not quality sense 'cause 'tis the sequel after all. It's not any less enjoyable or funny, jus' the sequel, savvy?
1. Ross Williams, Alter Boy

_**Aye, the sequel to 'That's CAP'N t'ye, savvy?'. How thoroughly excitin'. Ha, I don' think I made it clear tha' there was goin' ta be a sequel so sorry if I left ye thinkin' tha' tha' was the end of the tale. Far from it. It was actually a strange place t'leave the end of tha first part, aye? Not even an' even number of chapters or nothin'. Ah well, jus' like fer the first one, I don't own anythin' from Pirates Of The Caribbean, regardless of wha' I ave led ye t'believe in the past. Hope ye like it. Please review, ye lazy gits. Ha.**_

Ludernway was a small, pleasant island, seldom spoken or heard about. It was rarely visited by travelers and rarely left by it's inhabitants. The people had similar schedules, revolving around their occupation, their family, gossip and attending church on Sunday mornings. Those who proclaimed themselves atheists in Ludernway were never spoken to by those who claimed Christ was Lord.

The Church was in the centre of the island, tall and proud. Ancient, it's walls climbed towards the sky, seeming to never want to return to the ground in rubble and ruins, always to be unaffected by time. Inside, through the uninviting, two heavy wooden doors, the Church was no less regal than it seemed to be from the exterior. It's wooden pews lined up like soldiers, facing the tower that was the pulpit behind which hung a large declaring cross, the crucified Jesus nailed through his wrists and feet to it. Stained glass windows depicting the apostles and Mary let the sunlight through in filtered, coloured rays, giving a sereal aspect to the visual nature of the Church.

On this one particular Saturday afternoon, the only occupant was a boy, almost a young man, sweeping the cold, stone floors in preparation for the next morning's service. Ross Williams was an alter boy, heartily devoted to the Church and the Lord. He swept without the dreary obligation one would expect, considering the task but rather with a cheerful joy that he had the opportunity to do it, his wide blue eyes glowing with a realization that he was in his Father's house. He wiped his brow, his naturally flushed cheeks now a heated pink, his long robe making his task a little more difficult in the summer heat. After a short break, he continued sweeping and began whistling the tune of one of the many hymns heard floating from the building on a Sunday morning.

Like most of the children on Ludernway, Ross had been taught the golden rule of the island that it's people were to follow at all costs. Serenity, solitude and peace were embraced and adventure, trouble and undesirable acquaintances were to be avoided.

Who was to know that all three of the said to be avoided would swagger onto shore, manifested in one pirate captain, his crew of questionable persons and the two upper class women who had somehow been accepted into the group that now hastened into the town. After only a few minutes of the visitors' arrival, Ross was interrupted from his chores by an urgent rapping on the unwelcoming wooden doors at the back of the church. Ross put down his broom and started towards the entrance, quickening his steps as the knocking continued, growing louder and more demanding.

Ross hastily unbolted the doors and heaved one open. No sooner than when the door had opened but a crack did a dozen or so strangers file swiftly into the Church, talking urgently amongst themselves. Ross watched, wide eyed as the dreaded hair, slurring man who seemed to be the leader of the bizarre parade shouted at the rest of the people to go as deep into the Church as they could. A stunning woman, however disheveled and frightened looking, lingered behind with the apparent Captain as he rebolted the doors, taking no notice whatsoever of Ross as he searched his mind for an action or words that would fit the unexpected situation.

"Ex-...Excuse me," he managed finally, just as the pirate and the lady were starting to follow after the rest of the strangers.

The pirate swayed to look at him as did the lady, eyes wide and surprised at finding another person in the Chrurch.

"Did you know he was here?" the pirate asked the lady in confusion.

"The door didn't just magically open, Jack. He opened it," the lady pointed out.

"We have t'get goin'," the pirate shrugged the matter off, grabbing the woman's hand and preparing to hasten to the front of the church.

"Wait!" the lady cried, jerking back her hand and motioning at Ross, "We can't just leave him here."

Reinforcing her words, a loud thundering sounded outside the doors to the Church and they creaked under the unseen pressure. Ross turned, startled, towards them and stumbled backwards.

"What's yer name, lad?"

Ross looked up to find the pirate staring directly at him, awaiting an answer.

"Ross Williams, sir," he answered numbly as the doors leaned mournfully inwards again, unbelievingly faltering against the tremendous force on the outside.

"An' yer age?"

"I turn seventeen in two months, sir."

The pirate turned back to the lady, triumph on his tanned features, "Are yer suggestin' tha' the best place fer a sixteen year old alter boy is on the Black Pearl with me crew, Christina?"

The lady motioned at the door as another deafening thud landed against it, "Anywhere is better than here at this moment in time."

The pirate rolled his eyes in defeat, turning back to Ross with a forced smile, "How would ye like fer me t'make ye a pirate, lad? Ye can learn t'swordfight, drink rum, sail the seven seas... what d'ye say?"

Ross stared at him as though he were growing an extra limb from the side of his head, "N-no thank you, sir."

The pirate lowered his brows, "What d'ye mean 'no thank you'? It's every boy's dream t'become a pirate. What's wrong with ye?"

"Sorry, sir. I'll... be fine here," Ross shook his head again as the first splintering cracks sounded, the doors losing the battle that raged on the other side.

"To the contrary, lad, I highly doubt that," the pirate replied grimly. After staring at him probingly for a long moment, he shrugged, turning back to the lady, "He doesn't want t'come, luv."

"Well, I can't imagine how difficult it would be to convince him otherwise, Jack! There's a bunch of scary, undead woman on the other side of that door!"

Ross gulped at this new news, however strange and unbelievable but slowly proving itself as the doors became weaker and weaker under the attack of the powerful force outside. The pirate turned back to him, "I'm goin' ta ask ye one more time, lad. Do ye want t'come with us... or stay here?"

Ross snuck a fearful glance at the doors before summoning up as much courage as he could muster and shaking his head definitely at the pirate, "I'll be fine here, sir."

The pirate eyed him with disappointment and a strange remorse, "Well, I'm very sorry, lad."

"What for?" Ross frowned.

The answer he got was a sharp pain on the side of his head before his world clouded to darkness.

"That was unnecessary," Christina commented as Jack put down the heavy candlestick and heaved the alter boy over his shoulders.

"I beg different Miss 'we can't just leave him here'," Jack grunted under the weight of the surprisingly heavy young man.

"So, how are you planning to escape?" Christina asked as the doors creaked under one of the final blows they could take before they gave in.

Jack smirked, "Did I ever tell ye about the time I was a cleric of the Church Of England?"


	2. Fitting In And Teaching

Underneath the Church in Ludernway was a maze of winding tunnels. Some of the hollows had not been walked through since they had been dug out hundreds of years ago. For someone to venture into them without knowing their every turn and curve would be a foolish suicide. For this reason, they were very rarely disturbed, left to slowly decompose and collapse over time.

The dirt walls almost whispered to themselves in excitement over their visitors. The pitch black enveloped the crew of pirates, the two ladies and the unconscious alter boy that proceeded with confidence. The only one being confident, the drunken Captain who swayed in the lead, the alter boy slung over his shoulder. The others who followed felt a growing fear and claustrophobia as their fingers grazed along the walls on either side of them. They spoke as they traveled, having to rely on recognizing the speaker's voice and style of speech to discern who it was.

"Jus' try an' walk in a straight line. Nothin' to it."

"If Jack can walk in a straight line, I'd say I could without battin' an eye."

"How nice fer ye, Joshamee."

"So you think that this tunnel was used by the priests to smuggle whores up to the church?"

"I don't think, I know it fer a fact, lass... Bleedin' hell, what are they feedin' these alter boys?"

"Maybe they're trying to fatten him up for some bizarre practice they're planning."

"It's a Church, Liz, not a cult."

"Ouch!"

"What?"

"Ye stepped on me foot!"

"Who stepped on who's foot?"

"Someone stepped on _my_ foot an' I bloody can't tell ye who because I can't _see_ bloody anyone!"

"An' ya know why, Jack? 'Cause y'took us into the bloody catacombs, ya did."

"It's the only way t'get away from the Brides!"

"Where do we go from here? Left or right?"

"Left...No! Right!... Wait, I think it may be left..."

"Jack!"

"I'm only jokin', lass! It's right... I think."

"Jack!" more voices cried out now.

"It's right! I'm sure of it. Yer all so serious!"

"Having a dozen undead women after you will do that to people."

"How far to the shore?"

"We're about half way."

"How did you know about this anyway, Jack?"

"As I was tellin' Christina, this church had the pleasure of me careful shepherding a good fifteen years ago."

"You pastored the Church? Wha' were they deluded?"

"For yer information, whoever said that an' I have the sneakin' suspicion it was Ana, I was the perfect role model for the attenders."

Sniggering sounded and Jack glared over his back into the darkness. Over their heads, the sound of the Brides' searching thundered and silence befell them for most of the rest of the walk.

"I think this is it," Jack told those behind him as the faintest hint of sunlight appeared before them. A few minutes later, the escapees emerged into the sun, squinting like dazzled moles who had accidentally burrowed to the surface at the sudden brightness surrounding them.

"Now I get why ye were so stubborn about where we were t'anchor," Ana Maria nodded, seeing the Black Pearl just off shore from where they stood. Jack started towards the row boats, the alter boy still hanging limp over his shoulder, and the others followed. It wasn't long before they were pulling up along side the Pearl and preparing to make sail.

"Here," Jack grunted, flopping Ross over Mr Gibbs shoulder and rotating his own to get the circulation going again, "Put him in me cabin. Christina an' Elizabeth can tend to him."

"Aye, Cap'n," Mr Gibbs nodded and obeyed, taking the boy below decks as Jack swaggered quickly to the helm.

XxXxX

Ross' head felt like it was made of burning led. His eyes refused to open and blood roared in his ears. He registered that he was laying down. His first instinct was to get up and continue sweeping, assuming that the pirate who had knocked him out had left him on the stone floor of the church. But he couldn't move, too consumed by the throbbing pain in his head.

"I think he's coming to."

Ross tensed at the smooth, soft sound of a woman's voice. He did not recognise it as his mother's or sister's, nor anyone else in Ludernway. His brow creased in confusion.

"Should we get Jack?"

Another woman. This one's voice sounded more clipped and formal. Fighting against the roaring haze in his mind, he tried to place the voice as someone he knew, anyone he knew, just for some sort of familiarity with his surroundings.

"No, he's busy. We can take care of it."

"Yes, you're right, Chris. We're regular doctors."

Sarcasm dripped from the statement and Ross felt any comfort he might have savored slip away.

"You don't need to be a doctor to tend to a simple head wound."

Simple head wound? Ross begged to differ. His head screamed for professional medical assistance and the two women were obviously in no shape or form to give it. He tried again to pull his eyelids up, resulting in a blurry slit of light appearing in his vision.

"I learned basic biology, that helps right?"

_No!_ Ross' mind cried, willing his mouth to carry the protest out of his lips but with no such luck. He battled to open his eyes again, this time able to make out a hazy outline of the room he was in. Room? Was he not in the Church? He fought against panic as the very ground beneath him seemed to rock.

"I suppose. It's not like he needs major surgery or anything. Just something cold on the lump."

Ross felt slightly relieved that these women were not going to attempt to fix him with any sharp objects. He heard a stirring beside him, footsteps leading away and a door open and close. A hand brushed over his forehead gently, but brought no comfort at all without the knowledge of who it belonged to. He had a shameful realization and quickly acted on it.

_Dear Heavenly Father,_ he prayed silently, _Please deliver me from whatever hell this is. Keep me safe, I pray-_

"Will this do?"

The other woman was back.

"Yes. Bring it here."

A few seconds later, Ross felt a soothing cold at the site of the throbbing in his head. He tried his eyes again, this time able to blink a few times and get a clearer view of the objects around him. Green eyes peered down into his and honey brown eyes watched intently from a little further away.

"Hi, Ross."

Ross tried to mutter something close to a confused greeting but found himself incapable. The kind face above him, that he recognized as belonging to the lady with the pirate in the Church, smiled warmly.

"Where am I?" he finally managed to croak out.

"The Black Pearl," the lady above him answered simply.

"It's a pirate ship," the woman with honey eyes elaborated with a smile.

Ross frowned drowsily, "A pirate ship?"

"Don't worry. It's safe," the woman looking down at him grinned as she stroked his dark, curly hair soothingly.

"To a point, anyway," the other woman mused. The woman with green eyes sent her a sharp look and she widened her eyes, "Well, it's still a pirate ship, isn't it?"

"I'm Christina," the woman with her hand on Ross' brow introduced herself simply.

"And I'm Elizabeth," the other woman added.

Ross only stared blankly at them. Christina cleared her throat, "And we've gathered, correct us if we're wrong, that your name is Ross."

Ross nodded in hesitant confirmation.

"You should get some sleep," Elizabeth decided, standing from her seat and walking towards the door.

Christina nodded in agreement and followed after her. At the door, she paused, "Give a yell if you need anything, won't you?"

The door closed and Ross was left by himself in the strange room.

XxXxX

Jack sauntered down the hall in the dark, finally content with letting Ana Maria take over the helm. She had been overjoyed, as per usual when the rare opportunity arised that Jack would give her full control of the Pearl's steering, and sworn to stay there until morning light showed itself. Jack predicted her enthusiasm would dim within two hours and she'd fall asleep out on deck for the night. Not that he minded. They were far enough away from Ludernway now that the Brides wouldn't have a hope of catching up before morning; undead or not.

He continued down the hall, remembering that Christina had mentioned she was going to sleep in Ana Maria's cabin as it was going to be unoccupied for the night. He had been elated at the thought as it meant he had his quarters to himself for once. Peace was always treasured in Jack Sparrow's books. The very little he got of it was as delicate as life itself. Reaching the door to his quarters, he turned the handle and stepped inside.

He almost jumped right out of his boats when he registered there was someone else already inside, rummaging through his book case.

"Bleedin' hell!" he yelped, trying to see in the dim light who the person was, "Oh. Ye still in here, lad?"

The alter boy stared at him, mid rummaging and wide eyed at being caught doing it. He abruptly dropped the compass and map in his hands, "Sorry, sir."

Jack smirked and flicked the air, "S'alright. Long as ye didn't find me journals."

Ross filed through some paperwork before holding up a couple of black, leather bound notebooks, "Do you mean these?"

Jack's eyes widened and he quickly snatched them away, holding them safely behind his back, "Aye, those."

"Sorry, sir."

"... It's Captain and s'alright," Jack said slowly and a little less convincingly, "'Spose yer plannin' on sleepin' in here t'night, then?"

Ross looked around, scratching his head, "To tell the truth, sir, I'm still trying to figure out how I got here and why I'm not sleeping in my own bed."

"Oh, right," Jack nodded, brushing the subject off with his hand as he yawned, "Surely unimportant details like that can wait 'till morning?"

"... I suppose so, sir."

"Good lad."

The two stood still for a moment, unspeaking.

"So will ye be taking the bed or the floor, then?" Jack asked finally.

"I don't mind at all, sir. It's up to you," Ross answered quickly, seeming to not want to anger his kidnapper in any way.

Jack smirked, "That's the problem with you alter boys. Always too polite fer yer own good. The floor fer you it is."

Ross nodded acceptingly as Jack threw him a blanket and some sort of sad excuse for a pillow.

"We'll be needin' ta find ye some different clothes, lad," Jack commented, motioning at Ross' alter boy attire as he pulled off his own boots, hat and vest. Ross looked down at his robes, seeing nothing wrong and frowned back at the pirate who was currently climbing into bed. Jack blew out the lantern, leaving Ross standing in the inky darkness.

"'Night, son."

Ross stumbled his way to the side of the bed where he blindly laid out the blanket and set down the pillow. He scrambled to the floor, trying in vain to find a comfortable position before giving in and laying still.

His eyes didn't close, unable to sleep. He stared into the darkness for what seemed an eternity before soft snores were heard above him on the bed. The snores grew louder with time and Ross knew he would not be getting much sleep that night.

XxXxX

Christina awoke pleasantly in the mid morning in Ana Maria's cabin. Her sleep had been a deep and peaceful one, leaving her fully refreshed and energized as she left the room and headed for the upper decks to see who else was awake. Using her hand as a shield as she stepped out into the sun, she spied Jack and the new addition to the Pearl at the helm. Ana Maria stood near by, scowling. Christina, amused by the sight, headed in the general direction.

"What's Jack doing?" she whispered to the seething Ana Maria.

"Teachin' the whelp ta steer the Pearl," Ana Maria replied.

"Oh," Christina nodded, not having to ask why that was such a bad thing. Ana Maria prided herself on being the only person allowed at the helm of the Pearl other then the Captain himself. For Jack to be teaching a sixteen year old boy who had been on her decks for less than twenty four hours how to steer her was to be asking for a harsh slap from the woman. They both watched as Ross took a feeble hold of the odd looking wheel and turned it under Jack's guidance.

"This is ridiculous," Ana Maria growled before turning on her heel and storming off below decks. Christina hid a smile at the dark pirate's temper and continued to the helm.

"'Mornin', luv," Jack greeted without looking up from the helm in Ross' hands.

"Good morning," Christina returned. She motioned to the alter boy, "Have you even given him breakfast yet?"

Jack paused at the thought but shook his head, "The lad ain't hungry."

Christina rolled her eyes before turning to Ross, "Are you hungry?"

Ross shot a hesitant look at the Captain before returning her gaze and nodding, "A little, miss."

Christina gave Jack a triumphant look as she took the boy's arm and led him away from the helm. The pirate smirked and followed after them, yet to have breakfast himself.

XxXxX

"He's fitting in well enough, isn't he?" Will whispered to Elizabeth, giving a subtle jerk of his head towards the young man across the table from him, trying to converse with and understand the language of the pirates he found himself mingling with.

"I'd say so. I feel for him though," his wife replied lamentingly. Will frowned, looking at Ross again who gestured passionately as he spoke, however shy he seemed to be feeling.

"What ever for?"

"He's an alter boy, Will. He's going to leave this ship with a completely different mind set then the one he came with. He'll be bitter and cynical of people and his faith will be torn up in shreds, never to be revived again," Elizabeth replied through a mouthful of apple.

"Oh," Will offered, realizing his wife may be right and starting to feel the on set of sympathy for the alter boy.

If only they knew the truth.

Had they been sitting a few seats closer to their topic of conversation, they would've been getting the same fervor filled teaching that the crew were receiving presently.

"The Holy Trinity seems to be the concept that most people find the hardest to grasp. But really, if you open your mind to accept the unlikely and unfathomable, it's not complicated at all. God is three in the same. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit-"

"Tha's the part where I get lost," Mr Gibbs mused.

"God's understanding is above our own. It's likely that you won't understand everything there is to know about Him. But that's where faith comes in, you see..."

Christina smiled, watching the young man share his beliefs with fluid speech that contradicted with his quiet nature. Jack watched, blank faced and lost, unsure of whether the boy was actually sharing something he had known his whole life or, more likely he thought, the boy was a master liar and was making the elaborate tale up as he went along. Ross' audience was transfixed, none the less, with his teaching.

"...so, in conclusion, God sent His son to die to bridge the gap between Him and humanity cause by sin. We all have the same choice to make, whether we know it or not, to accept His love or to refuse it and be damned to Hell."

The dramatic end left the listeners spellbound and numb until Jack cleared his throat, "Well, thankye kindly fer that sermon, lad, but now we must be gettin' to work if we're wanting t'make port by nightfall."

"Where are we going?" Christina asked eagerly.

"Only yer most favourite place in the world, luv," Jack replied secretly as he stood and the crew began to disperse.

Christina's brow creased in thought, "Paris?"

Jack's eyes widened in horror, "Nay, lass! Tortuga!"

"That's not my most favourite place in the world," Christina told him defiantly.

"It should be so that rules out yer actual opinion on the matter," Jack replied over his shoulder as he left.

Christina rolled her eyes as she sat at the now almost empty table.

"What's a Tortuga?"

Christina's eyes shot up to meet the inquisitive blue eyes of the alter boy across from her.

"Oh dear," she muttered.

_An' that, me dear readers, is the second addition t'the second story of me first POTC tale... it does make sense. I think. This one isn't as long as it looks as it's mostly dialogue so don't have a fit or 'nything. Thankye fer all the reviews t'chapter one an' 27 of the las' one. I'll try me best t'reply t'them all now..._

The Flying Breadstick: _Good t'hear yer havin' a good holiday, luv. Aye, I'm tryin' me best t'make Jack an' Chris t'sound like a couple without havin' t'go through all the borin' stuff of makin' it official. Ha. An' ye may be right, Ross will be very changed within the next five chapters. I've got some funny scenes planned. I've always fancied the thought of havin' an alter boy on the Pearl an' this was me chance so I'm goin' ta run like the wind with it. As fer Jack gettin' tha' tattoo... I'm still tryin' ta stir up an idea where it can happen without it bein' completely an' utterly absurd. Maybe, he can drink himself t'unconciousness one night in the presence of several conniving prostitutes who have somethin' against him an' when he wakes up, he has a bunny on his ankle or somethin'. I don't know. An' assume away, lass! Ha._

chaos spirit: _It is amazin' wha' ye find, I couldn't agree more. Ye have givin' me an' idea of bringin' more of the Lord's people into me story. Hmmm, maybe the whole crew will be converted an' they can sail the seven seas with no need fer food, water or human weakness', jus' singin' Kumbaya fer the rest of their lives... or maybe not..._

WickedwhiteWench: _Ha, love the name, lass. Classic. Thankye fer poppin' in._

Holly Rox: _Thankye kindly, lass. Hope this was soon enough fer yer._

MizuiroHiei: _I really love the name Jaime fer some reason. One of me favourites. Let me know when ye get yer own fanfic on the site so I can read it, aye? Oh, an' send me the drawin' of Christina, I'd like t'see the person I'm writin' about. Singin' is good. An' anythin' Jack Sparrow is doubly... no TRIPLY good so go ahead with the collage, luv. I, personally, have never finished a whole glass of rum (shock horror) but I shall try me best ta babble like a drunken git after doin' the said. Ye'll be there? Fantastic. See ye then, lass._

Queen.Bowie.Jack.Sparrow.Lover: _Aye, K, anythin' higher is too corrupt fer me mind ta comprehend... I wish anyway. There may be the insinuation of somethin' steamy but I shan't go into detail... because I will fail terribly an' I don't want tha'. Ha. Thankye fer the review._

crystalvoicedcamelotlady: _Glad ye enjoyed the first story an' hope ye like this one jus' as much!_

jennifer123: _Ye did review the first story quite a whiles back, I recall... Glad ye liked the first chapter an' the different point of view. A married couple, eh? I'm glad ta hear it 'cause I really am tryin' t'get across tha' Jack an' Chris are... involved. Hope this wasn't too long._

Capt'n Raven Most feared pirate of the sea: _Thankye fer the review. I hope this one is as good as the first one. There's a few changes but I think it's still got the same feel an' all. _

wayunlucky13: _Don't fret fer a second, lass. The story is jus' beginning._

TheSiriusSparrow: _The sad part is not tha' the first story is finished but tha' the second is jus' beginning, luv. Ye'll have t'endure a whole 'nother story of me rantin' an' ravin'._

GothHippie13 : _Sorry tha' ye didn't appreciate the sleepin' together thing an' I'm sorry t'hear about why. It's not goin' ta be a regular occurrence, trust me._

Miss Elisa Tenant: _Thankye fer yer kind review, luv. I'm pleased ye liked the first story! An' I agree tha' Jack can't always be good as he is after all a pirate by occupation but he can't always be evil either as no one would like the git. Ha. I tried me best in tha' aspect an' I'm glad ye noticed. I was considerin' havin' Christina go an' visit her parents but then I changed me mind as it would take too much time an' be too much awkward writin' fer me. I prefer the story t'stay as light as humanly possible. (bows) I always appreciate bein' told tha' the characters are in character. Thankye again._

janfl: _Ha, ha, ha, ha. Glad ye caught on eventually, luv. Classic._


	3. Teaching Of The Pirate Kind

"Jack, I'm serious."

"And I'm well aware of that, Christina. Ye've got yer serious face on an' everything. Very dramatic. In _fact_..." Jack took the shoulders of the woman following him incessantly around the cabin and regarded her with narrowed eyes, "I would even go so far as to say that you are _deadly_ serious."

"I am!" Christina cried as the pirate spun on his heel and continued preparing to leave the Black Pearl, "Don't mock me." She watched as he plonked his hat on his head and searched for his coat before pouting, "And I haven't got a serious face."

"There's no need fer ye to worry. We're just going into town fer a while," Jack reasoned.

"Tortuga, Jack, you're going to take him into Tortuga. He's an alter boy for Christ's sake!"

"An' I'm sure he would appreciate ye using the Lord's name in vain," Jack smirked, attracting a glare from the irate woman.

The Pearl had arrived in Tortuga a quarter of an hour ago. The crew had not missed a beat and left as soon as the gangplank was down. Will and Elizabeth had left shortly after in search of decent food. This was a fool's errand considering that the population of the town had taken the verse 'Man shall not lived by bread alone', done away with 'not' and replaced the 'bread' with 'rum and pleasurable company' and then accepted it as their slogan.

Jack was now preparing to follow suit and leave which Christina would've been fine with had he not unwisely mentioned that he would be taking Ross with him. Now she blocked his exit, her hands on her hips and her lips pursed, refusing to be crossed.

"Luv, have I given ye any reason to believe tha' I should not be trusted with young innocent men?" he asked pleasantly, "Will turned out fine, right?"

"Will was not a teenager, much less an alter boy when you met him, Jack," Christina replied dryly.

Jack feigned hurt, "So I can be trusted with a blacksmith but not an alter boy?"

"Precisely. I'm glad you're catching on," Christina nodded.

She was startled by someone clearing their throat and turned to find Ross standing timidly in the doorway.

"Ah, must be off," Jack said quickly, leaving Christina with a hasty peck on the cheek as he ducked past her effortlessly and met Ross in the hall. He frowned, looking the boy up and down, "... Not good."

Ross looked down at himself and then back up at Jack, "I'm sorry, sir?"

"We need t'find ye some clothes," Jack grimaced at Ross' robes, leading him down the hall to the crew's quarters.

XxXxX

Christina was pacing the hall worriedly when Jack and Ross emerged a good half hour later. Her eyes widened, disbelievingly at the sight before her. Ross Williams was virtually unrecognizable. In place of his robes was a radical new attire that stunned Christina to speechlessness. From the toes up, he was fitted with worn heavy boots, dark brown trousers that seemed to be a couple of sizes to large for him, a thick black, gold buckled belt to hold the ill fitting trousers up, a once white button up shirt that hung loosely about his pale shoulders, a vest casually thrown over the top of the shirt and partially hidden by a long coat and, most shockingly of all, a navy bandanna tied around his head. Christina stared at the new creature, agape.

"Happy, lass? He'll fit right in," Jack stated proudly. Ross looked worriedly down at himself, fidgeting with the front of the shirt and tugging on the bandanna. Christina sighed in defeat, knowing there was no way that she would be able to convince the pirate not to take the boy.

"Fine. Just be careful, _please._ Don't go taking him into any... less than tasteful business buildings. Promise me?"

"I promise," Jack shrugged noncommittally as he and his fellow 'pirate' headed for the deck to leave, Christina shaking her head in their wake, an amused smile tugging at her lips.

XxXxX

Jack reasoned silently as he swayed into the brothel, closely followed by the naive and completely in awe Ross. True, he had promised Christina that he would not take the boy into 'any less than tasteful business buildings' _but_, and this was where his current action got in through the loophole, the brothel he was taking the boy to was in fact one of the most tasteful in Tortuga and hence, unable to be considered anything less.

It had been years since he had stepped foot in 'The Siren's Haven' and he felt the memories flood back in, some pleasant, some not so. Jack smirked, noting that Ross kept silent, probably praying fervently that God would forgive him for laying eyes on the women around them who looked up from their current clients, scrutinizing and weighing the newcomers up.

Jack noted a few familiar faces coming his way and internally prepared himself for the startling, ear piercing, unpleasant, overly friendly-

"Jack!"

Jack bared his teeth in a forced but welcoming smile as the first of many attractive women pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Scarlett."

Ross watched on with shameful wonder at the display of affections the women bestowed upon Jack, their hands reaching lustfully for him and their lips whispering suggestive nothings in his ear. He tried to figure out how a pirate who seemed in a constant state of insensible drunkenness, his words how ever quick and intelligent constantly slurred and his manner of speech often offensively chauvinistic had earned such passionate greetings from so many women.

Truth be told, Jack was a big spender and money, no matter what those with morals said, could by you love in any form you ever fancied. Ross tensed when the women's attention turned from the pirate to himself, a disturbing curiosity in their eyes.

"Who's this, Jack?" a blonde purred, her heavily made up eyes showing her instant infatuation with the young man the pirate had brought with him. Ross blushed under her intrusive gaze, quickly turning to look at Jack, awaiting his answer and hoping it would ward the women off. Surely they wanted nothing to do with an alter boy?

"This is Ross Williams," Jack announced with an unsettling wink at Ross, "He 'asn't been in a brothel before."

The words had a magical effect. Ross' blue eyes widened in fear as the women chattered excitedly, grinning deviously at him and edging closer, as though lioness', preying on a weak, young and feeble target.

"Hi, Ross," one of them smiled, linking her arm with his, "You've _never_ been in a brothel before? You poor boy."

A couple of them giggled as Ross shook his head.

"How would you like a discount?"

This resulted in more laughter from the women and more squirming from Ross as he found several ill placed hands on his body that he preferred were not there.

Jack watched on with amusement before the lad's discomfort became clearly apparent and he decided to put a stop to it.

"Easy now," he chuckled, prying Ross from the women's grasps and leading him towards the bar by the shoulders, "How 'bout a drink, son?"

Ross looked over his shoulder at the now pouting group of women, "Are they..."

"Are they what?" Jack prompted when he didn't finish.

"Well, are they...," Ross lowered his voice to a whisper, "... prostitutes?"

The only answer he got from Jack was roaring laughter.

XxXxX

"... an' that is the one an' only time tha' ye can validate not payin' a whore, savvy?"

Ross looked at the intoxicated pirate with a contradicting mix of fascination and disgust as he slurred what he claimed were the 'true' lessons of life. Jack turned, with very little remaining balance due to his current state of drunkenness, to his rum and carefully picked it up, taking a long swig. Putting it back down with an unstable clunk, he gestured to Ross, "Ye still ain't goin' t'have anythin', lad?"

"No thank you, sir," Ross replied slowly, not finding the effects that the drink was having on the pirate all too appealing.

"Sir? What is with this 'sir' ye insist on usin' when referring t'me? It's Cap'n. Or Cap'n Sparra'. Or, if ye really must an' God forbid it, Jack. None of this 'sir business," Jack flicked the title away with his hands as though it was a tangible mess in the air.

"Yes, si- Captain Sparrow," Ross nodded obediently.

Jack checked his pocket watch, having to move it closer and further away from his face before his dazed eyes could focus on the ticking hands. He grimaced, "We should be gettin' back. Christina will have an' aneurysm if we're gone any longer." Ross breathed a sigh of relief at finally being able to exit the brothel.

"Bye, Jack. Bye, Ross," a couple of the women called, fluttering their fingers, however disappointedly at not getting any business out of the two.

Stepping out into the night, Ross noticed that large amounts of alcohol seemed to have little to no effect on Jack's swaying swagger. He gathered that the pirate had had enough rum in his life to numb the side effects and simply be in a constant state of tipsiness whether under the influence or not.

How had he found himself in the presence of such people? He was an alter boy, mingling with pirates and prostitutes. How much more out of place could you get? He was interrupted from his musing when a short boy a rush collided with Jack, almost knocking the pirate off his feet but not bothering to stop. Ross quickly steadied Jack who frowned at those around him, trying to figure out which of them had run into him. A thought crossed his mind and he patted down his coat, paying close attention to his pockets. Seeming to not find what he was looking for, he shoved his hands into the pockets and rummaged urgently around. He stopped, his eyes wide and incredulous.

"He stole my money!"

Ross stared at him, unsure of what to do when suddenly Jack started jogging in the general direction where the boy who had bumped into him had ran off in. Ross started after him, uncertain of why but his mind not really offering any other sensible options that would suffice. The pirate was surprisingly hard to keep up with, ducking past those walking by, skidding around corners and only pausing momentarily to decide in which direction the boy had run. There came a point in the mad chase that Ross lost track of both of them. He stopped in the middle of the street, turning this way and that, trying to find any sign of Jack or the boy he had been pursuing. He almost gave up when he heard a struggling down one of the alleyways nearby. He made a beeline for it, stopping in his tracks at what he saw.

"Put me down, you bloody scoundrel! Or I'll... or I'll-"

"Or ye'll what, tell yer mother?" Jack inquired of the boy that he held up above the ground by the shoulders of his jacket. The boy kicked his feet and threw angry punches at him, none of them landing on anything but air.

"_Put me down!_" the boy shrieked again, lifting up a hand momentarily to stop his cap from falling off his head. His dark eyes burned with anger and beads of sweat appeared underneath tufts of blond curly hair.

"I'm afraid tha' I must refrain from carrying out tha' particular request until ye hand me money back," Jack informed him, not trying from holding the slight boy up over the ground.

"Never! You put me down or I'll blow a hole through your brain and make you wish you had never lived!" the boy threatened as he twirled in Jack's grasp.

"If ye had in fact blown a hole through me brain as ye so tactfully put it, it would make it rather difficult t'wish I had never lived, wouldn't ye say?" Jack pointed out, "An' with what weapon were ye goin' to use t'carry out this plan of attack?"

The boy stopped punching and kicking for a moment, realizing his threat had been a very empty one before starting again with all the more fury, "None of your business!"

"Right, sorry fer prying," Jack smirked, "Now, we _could _stand here all night, letting ye wear yerself out with tha' fancy self defense technique ye got yerself there, but I'd rather it if ye just handed back the money, I'll let ye go and we can get on our happy ways as though this little exchange never occurred."

The punches and kicks slowly became less angry and passionate until the boy hung limp. Glaring at his captor, he searched inside his coat pockets, resulting in several purses and pouches falling to the ground along with some expensive looking jewelery. Jack looked on with lifted brows, impressed while Ross stayed silent from the other end of the alley. Finally, when there was a notable pile of valuables on the ground beneath him, the boy retrieved Jack's pouch and reluctantly held it out. Jack gave a thankful smile, grabbed the pouch and abruptly let the boy go. The boy landed with a thud, quickly recovered and started madly gathering up the purses, pouches and jewelery left on the ground and put them back in his pockets.

Satisfied at having his money safe and sound inside his own coat pocket, Jack started out of the alleyway and towards Ross.

"An' tha', lad, is how ye get yer money back from a pick pocket. Let's go back to the Pearl, aye?" he asked happily, flinging his arm around Ross' shoulder. Ross nodded while looking back, shocked to see that the boy was already out of the alley and running into some other poor soul.

_There's chapter three, hope ye liked it an' all. Please keep up the reviews an' keep readin', aye?_

crystalvoicedcamelotlady: _Aye, Tortuga. Jus' had t'get the lad there. Ha._

Capt'n Raven Most feared pirate of the sea: _Aw, thankye lass. I appreciate the compliment. Ye have a lovely day too!_

MizuiroHiei: _Ah, writer's block is the devil, I swear it. Collaboratin' sounds interestin' though. Aye, I sing meself, not randomly like ye mentioned (although I'm sure tha' would be fun too). Send me the picture an' the collage. I'll wait. An' great, I'll see ye there, luv. Ha. Aye, 'twas about time the crew got some teachin' and preachin'. Glad ye liked it. An' the crew shall definitely be prayin' soon, I like tha' idea. Thankye kindly fer the review._

Holly Rox: _Thankye, I'm ecstatic tha' Jack is in character as sometimes ('cause he's so complex) he's hard t'write. Other times it comes easily. Everyone's goin' on holidays it seems. I had a holiday at the beginnin' of the year. We went t' Europe, America an' Canada. It was bloody fantastic. Hope ye have fun where ever yer goin'. An' thankye kindly fer the picture! I love it. Perfect._

VioletAshkevron: _Ha, cheers, lass. Glad ye liked the idea. Aye, I agree, JD's face in the scene would be classic. Maybe they'll steal my idea an' then we can see the face... Hmmmm, I don't think Disney steals ideas though... Damn._


	4. Jellyfish

"Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this delicious food you have blessed us with-"

"I wouldn't call it delicious," Ana Maria muttered, attracting a pointed glare from Mr Gibbs who had prepared it.

"I pray you bless it unto our bodies. May it refresh us and be the start to another wonderful day that you have made-"

"This is Gibbs' cooking ya talkin' about, right?" Ana Maria checked.

"Hush, woman!" Mr Gibbs hissed.

"I pray we would try to the best of our ability to do your will today and that you would keep us and guide us. Amen," Ross finished.

A reluctant and mumbled 'amen' echoed from the crew before they tucked into the food hungrily. Christina smirked and followed suit, ignoring the fact that Ana Maria was defiantly on to something. She looked up at the alter boy across from her.

"How was last night, Ross?"

She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Jack tensed at her mention and paused mid bringing a spoonful of food to his mouth, awaiting the boy's answer. Ross opened his mouth and then closed it. He drew a breath as though to speak and then released it without saying a word. He started to form a sentence with his lips but then stopped. After a long break, he looked at her with solemn eyes.

"Really very good, miss."

Jack continued eating, a smile on his lips as Christina waited for Ross to take the answer back and say he had never been more scared or disgusted in his life but it never came. She narrowed her eyes at Jack but continued eating. He shrugged at her triumphantly, knowing she had not expected such an answer and enjoying her reaction immensely. Although Christina did not believe Ross for a second, she decided to leave the subject to itself, knowing pursuing it would only result in disappointment and anger.

"What is there to do here during the day?" Elizabeth asked Jack musingly.

Jack gave her a scornful look, "Lass, what is there not t'do here during the day?"

"There's nothing to do during the day," Ana Maria answered the question bluntly, "Sleep. That's it."

"That's not true," Jack retorted, "Ye can... well, there's... there's 'sposed t'be a lot of jelly fish washed up this time of year."

XxXxX

Christina sat with her chin resting in her hands next to Elizabeth who was in much the same position. Will looked expectantly at Jack who pretended not to notice while Ross studied his boots. They sat outside one of the many taverns with nothing to do.

"Well, I still think the jelly fish would be more compelling than this at least," Jack muttered, receiving no reply.

"Anyone hungry?" Will asked apathetically.

"Not really," Elizabeth and Christina answered in unison. The four of them drifted back into their vegetative state, staring at nothing and barely aware of each other's presence. Ross, on the other hand, was transfixed. His eyes followed the movements of someone across the street, narrowed and studying. Jack noticed and motioned at him to catch his attention.

"What's got ye so engrossed, lad?"

"Captain Sparrow, isn't that the boy from last night?" Ross mused, pointing in the direction of a scuffle directly across from them. Jack followed with his gaze, spying two people, one of them being the boy who had stole his money and the other being an older man, three times his size. The two seemed to be having some kind of argument that Jack could easily guess the subject of.

"Seems he got caught again," he replied, amused as the man tried to reach for the boy but missed by a hairbreadth. The rage filled shouting of the robbed man echoed throughout the street as the boy laughed and gracefully ducked out of his grasp with careless ease that infuriated the man further.

"How would he get caught? He's so cunning," Elizabeth commented, intrigued by the sight.

"'Tis not the measure of yer cunning but how careful ye are tha' matters," Jack replied knowingly, smirking as the boy dropped down, barely missing a heavy, swinging fist from the man. The man cursed at the boy, making Ross cringe at his vile choice of words. Christina smiled at this, remembering that alter boys would not be so accustomed to the harsh language. All of them tisked in disappointment when the boy was jerked back by the collar of his shirt, finally captured by the beefy man.

"He should've ran while he had the chance," Will sighed, like the others, having wanted to see the boy get away.

The women gasped as the boy caught a hard blow to the face that knocked him to the ground. Staggering, the boy got to his feet, carefully making sure his cap was still on his head, only to receive a kick to his stomach and tumble back down to whence he came.

"Jack..." Christina said, tugging his sleeve.

"He's a pick pocket. He was going to get what was comin' to him eventually," Jack told her, although his eyes did not move from the crumpled form on the ground. He tensed his jaw as the man started towards the boy again and kicked him in the side. As the kicks kept coming with no sign of ending any time soon, Jack let out a sigh of frustration as he hastened towards the two, "Oh, bloody hell." Will quickly followed after him.

Jack damned his cursed sympathy as he grew closer, noting that the boy seemed to not be moving save for showing the force of the blows he was receiving to his ribs. Taking a breath and rolling his eyes at the obligation that he felt gripping him tightly, he cupped his hands around his mouth.

"'Xcuse me, mate!"

The man looked up momentarily, puffing and scowling, "What d'ya want?"

Jack forced a tight smile and gestured to the boy who laid motionlessly on the ground, "I hardly think he's in any shape or form t'prevent ye from takin' ye money back now."

"As he should be, useless vermin," the man growled, landing another angry kick in the boy's side. A moan sounded and Jack quickly placed himself in between the thief and the robbed man.

"So, why don't we jus' get yer money back an' leave the lad be, aye?" he reasoned. As he spoke, Will ducked down behind him to tend to the boy, turning him onto his back and checking to see if he was still conscious.

"Why?" the man roared, "I'll tell ya why! This is the third time this week that little runt has swindled me an' I plan t'make sure he's incapable of tryin' it again, that's why!" Jack stepped forward and pushed the man back before he could further injure the boy. When the man turned his scowl to him, he lifted his hands up and edged backwards, lower towards the lad.

"Here's what we'll do. We'll get yer own money, an' anythin' else the boy has on him that ye fancy as I doubt he'll have need fer it anytime soon. An' we'll leave it at that, savvy?" As Jack spoke, he emptied the boy's coat pockets of their stolen goods and held them out towards the man. The man started to refuse until he saw just how much valuables were being thrust at him. With a long sigh, he glanced over Jack's shoulder at the boy who he had caused considerable damage to and, satisfied, nodded.

"Aye."

Jack shoved his handfuls of treasures into the man's outstretched arms until the boy was left with nothing, "That's all of it." The man grunted in response and went on his way. Jack waited until he was out of sight before bending down beside Will to look at the boy, "How's it looking?"

"I think he may have a couple of broken ribs," Will replied distractedly. Elizabeth, Ross and Christina appeared, crowding worriedly around the unconscious boy.

"Is he alright?" Elizabeth asked. Will shook his head as Jack nodded and tried to lead them away. As Jack headed back to the Pearl, he realized that no one was following and turned back to find them all staring at him blankly.

"What?" he frowned.

"He needs help, Jack," Christina told him testily.

"An' I gave it, didn't I?" Jack countered.

"Yes but now he needs medical help," Elizabeth fired back.

"It's not like no one would notice an unconscious teenager in the street and take him to a doctor," Jack defended, swinging his arms.

Christina narrowed her eyes at him, "One, this is Tortuga. It's highly likely that he would blend in with the passed out drunkards that line the streets and go unnoticed. Two, if by some miracle he was noticed, the doctors themselves here are drunkards!"

"So what are ye suggestin' then?" Jack spat.

"We can take him back to the Pearl," Will replied as though it was obvious.

"An' for what objective an' use, hm? Mr Gibbs doesn't know how t'tend to a broken bone. There's no help fer him there," Jack pointed out victoriously.

"But you do!" Christina jabbed him in the shoulder with an accusing finger, "You told me you did."

Jack looked at her with wide innocent eyes, "I told ye that?" She nodded confidently. After staring at her for a moment and weighing up his chances of convincing her he had been lying on the matter, he gave in and nodded, "Alright, we'll take him t'the Pearl."

XxXxX

It was dark and cold and still no one emerged from the Captain's Cabin. Elizabeth, Will, Christina and Ross waited almost unconsciously in the hall, staring into space and trying to keep themselves awake with small petty games. 'I spy' had been a hit for the first two hours until one floorboard was chosen for five rounds in a row. Their curiosity over what had been the cause of Jack's very audible cursing within minutes within being left to tend to the boy had been forgotten. Currently, the four had another senseless game swinging apathetically around.

"It's your turn, Liz."

Elizabeth blinked at her cousin and then nodded, her brow creased in forced thought, "Right... When I went to my grandmother's house I packed an ape, a bible, a ... what was it? Oh! A corset, a desk, a ... hm, I really can't remember what we said for 'e'-"

"A eunic," Christina reminded happily. Ross and Will cleared their throats uncomfortably.

"Ha, of course," Elizabeth grinned, "A eunic, a feather, a gate post, a horse, a igloo, a jig, a kettle..." It was as she was saying 'pirate' for 'p' that the door swung open and a glowering Jack appeared. All eyes turned to meet the pirate's who returned the wondering gazes with a harsh stare.

"Well, I hope you are _all_,_ very_ happy with yerselves."

The wondering gazes turned to blank expressions as Jack swaggered away, mimicking mockingly, "Oh, but we _have_ to take him on the Pearl, Jack. It'd be a _crime_ to leave him in the streets of his _home_ town. Hope yer all very bloody happy!"

Turning to look at each other, Christina, Ross, Will and Elizabeth paused for a very brief moment before scrambling to their feet and scuttling after Jack.

XxXxX

Katana: _Thankye kindly! I'm sorry tha' yet again, m'story had robbed another soul of their sleep. Glad ye liked the first one as well an' I hope ye'll continue liking this one too. Cheers fer yer review!_

wayunlucky13: _Aww, pick pockets ain't tha' bad, lass. Ev'rybody's got t'make a livin', honorable or otherwise. Thanks fer the review._

MizuiroHiei: _There ye go, prayer in the mornin'. Nice, eh? Still interested in teamin' up... I'm just so busy I can't breathe at the moment but email me (ye'll find it on me homepage somewhere...) with an idea of somethin' an' we'll see, aye?_

Spilt Glass : _Ye poor thing, with the migraine an' all. I always really feel it when someone I know is sick. It's like a pity illness. I usually pick up their symptoms jus' outta sympathy. Ha. Glad ye liked the las' chapter. Hope ye like this one too. (Come on, they're not ALL pitiful...)_

Capt'n Raven Most feared pirate of the sea: _Thankye, luv. I appreciate the compliments. Ye have a FANTASTIC day, savvy? Ha._


	5. It's A Girl

Ross was the first to wake up on the Black Pearl that morning. Swinging his legs off the bed and rubbing his face sleepily, his thoughts quickly stumbled back to where they had been last night, curious and confused. Jack had apparently been too angry to let a word slip about the pick pocket and they had all gone to sleep restlessly, desperate to know what had gotten the pirate so irate. Ross went through the possibilities he had thought up last night while trying to sleep:

1. The pick pocket had very stupidly tried to nick something of Jack's in a dazed, barely conscious attempt to obey his own depraved nature.

2. Jack had realized he knew the boy as being the child of one of the whores that he had a less than favorable relationship with and did not savor the idea of returning the pick pocket to his mother, due to the premonitions of verbal and physical abuse that would probably be bestowed upon him when he did so.

3. Jack was simply insane and this was just one of the many occasions to come that the pirate would make that fact inescapably clear.

Or, 4. Jack was perfectly sane and there was something very, very wrong about the pickpocket that he had discovered and was none too fond of.

Stepping to his feet, Ross decided there was no better way to put his debating thoughts and ideas to rest than to do it himself. Hence his decision to march surely down the hall, coming to a stop outside one of the doors. Ruling it senseless to knock, he looked to his left then his right before turning the handle quietly and stepping into the cabin.

The form on the bed stirred, emitting a low moan as he closed the door behind him. Ross edged closer, rounding the side of the bed so that he could get a look at the boy's face. The pick pocket's eyes were scrunched closed, a frown creasing his forehead as he moaned again, clearly just waking up.

It is usual for one to have a 'just woken up instinct'. Whether it be to stretch, to yawn, to itch, to glare, to smile, to squint or to sigh. Whether it be to rub one's eyes, to cover one's face and try to recall what happened the night before, to roll over into the pillow and pretend to not have woken up in the first place or to look around blankly, as though not recognizing the room that one has woken up in every morning for the past fifteen years. Ross was surprised to find that the pick pocket's instinct was to make sure that his hat was firmly on his head, tugging it down so that only a few tuffs of blonde curly hair peeked out from underneath.

Suddenly, two large brown eyes snapped open to stare at him as closely as he was staring back. Caught off guard, he stumbled back, arms flailing for something to help him regain balance, finally finding the back of a chair. Righting himself, he continued staring in what he wished he could make a less blatant manner at the pick pocket, wordless and bewildered. The pick pocket stared back, eyes wide, obviously unsure of why he had woken up under such strange circumstances. After a few awkward moments had passed, Ross tilted his head in scrutiny, still staring back at the pick pocket. Blue eyes narrowed, he gazed at the boy's face. He guessed him to be about the same age as himself. Nothing stood out but at the same time...

"It couldn't be...," Ross whispered as the pick pocket once again pulled down his hat further onto his head.

XxXxX

"Chris!"

Christina muttered something unintelligible in a threatening tone as she was interrupted from her slumber by a rough shake of her shoulder. She had been up most of the night pestering Jack to tell her what was so interesting about the pick pocket to no avail. The pirate had only grumbled and glared indignantly at her, as though the secret was so much her fault that it was insane and insulting for her to not know what it was. She had tried to induce pain, seduce, blackmail, threaten and manipulate Jack but nothing had worked and she was none the wiser. Only more tired and less amused at being woken so abruptly by Elizabeth, who was currently pulling the warm sheets out of her grasp and leaving her cold and unprotected on the bed.

"Go away!" Christina muttered, turning her back to her cousin. Elizabeth, undeterred to say the very least, stalked to the other side of the bed, now glowering.

"Chris! It's a girl!"

Christina's brow creased in puzzlement. She had the bizarre thought while she had been fruitlessly interrogating Jack, Elizabeth had conceived, been through the nine months of pregnancy, given birth and discovered that her first child was a girl, all before Christina had had the time to wake up when she pleased. Smartly realizing that such could not be so, she opened her eyes to frown at Elizabeth who eyed her impatiently. Apparently Christina was supposed to know exactly what her friend was talking about when she made such an unexpected announcement.

"What's a girl?" she inquired testily.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, "The pick pocket. It's a girl!"

XxXxX

Marie Bentley woke to the sound of singing.

Terrible singing. Maniacal singing.

Her brown eyes searched the foreign room, dazed. Her abdomen and chest throbbed and she gasped at the shooting pain that greeted her as she tried in vain to sit up. Taking a deep breath as she recalled how she had received the injuries that she imagined were inhibiting her movement, she built up her courage again and bit her lip as she lifted herself up from the hard bed. Taking a quick glance down the collar of her shirt, she saw that her chest was bandaged tightly in what she recognized was an aftermath of broken ribs.

"Bastard," she muttered of the man that had put her in the position of discomfort she felt now. Tensing, she realized that whoever had tended to her would've had no problem in discerning that she was no boy after all. She searched the plain room further, trying to find something that would tell her where she was. She found it.

Across the small space, on the wall opposite her, there was a porthole. Standing unsteadily, Marie paced to it, squinting in the bright sunlight to see outside. Ocean. The sea. That was it. As far as the eye could see, there was water. Marie felt the first fingers of panic start to close around her tightly in an inescapable fist.

"...And really bad eggs!"

The singing continued, not getting any better, only more insanely angry. Marie debated venturing outside of the door that stood ominously a few feet away. For all she knew, she might have died and this was heaven. Considering the less than enjoyable singing and the fact that Marie hated the sea, she decided it highly unlikely. Her eyes widened at the thought that if she had died and if she wasn't in heaven, the only other option was hell. One step outside that door could take her into the fiery lake she had been told about by the strange woman that used to loiter around her mother's tavern. The woman had told her that if she did go to hell when she died, the fiery lake would be where she would be tormented slowly for the rest of eternity.

"Yo ho, Yo ho! A pirate's life for me!"

_Tormented by singing?_ _A pirate's life for me?_ Did whoever was sharing this terrible eternity with her not realize that they were dead? That they were in hell?

Fighting against the thousand screaming thoughts of what she had possibly done to deserve condemnation (apart from breaking several of the less important ten commandments that no one really cared about anyway), she edged slowly towards the door. She could have sworn sweat was breaking on her brow as she reached out a hand towards the handle. Was it glowing with heat? _No, Marie, no. _Marie took a breath to calm herself, noticing only now that she hadn't been breathing at all. Slowly, her fingers made contact with the cool metal of the door knob. It was just as she was summoning up enough courage to turn it that it moved in her hand.

Jumping back in horror, Marie waited for what terrible demon would enter. Talons. Fangs. Wings. Yellow eyes. Sulfurous breath. Sharp scales.

Copper hair?

The women who entered stared back at her as openly as she stared at them. Instinctively, she lifted a hand to make sure that the cap on her head covered her long hair. Quickly regaining her composure, she narrowed her eyes at them, "Who are you?"

The woman with copper hair blinked before offering, "Christina Lacimore."

"Elizabeth Turner," the other woman introduced herself without further prompting.

"Where am I?" Marie asked bluntly, wasting no time being friendly.

"On the Black Pearl," Christina replied, a frown creasing her brow as she turned to look at Elizabeth, shaking her head. Elizabeth nodded back at her, apparently trying to convince Christina without words. Marie rolled her eyes at their subtlety or lack of the said.

"The Black Pearl as in Jack Sparrow's ship?" she checked.

Elizabeth nodded while Christina still studied her openly.

Marie nodded slowly, taking another look around the room with new found wonder, "Nice..." As she absentmindedly searched her surroundings, no longer aware of Christina and Elizabeth, she reached into her pocket. Pausing a little, she rummage a little deeper. Stopping in her tracks now, Marie patted herself down urgently, slipping her hands into her pant and coat pockets, not seeming to find anything that she was looking for. Watching on nervously, Christina and Elizabeth cringed, knowing all too well what the girl could not find.

"Where are my things?" Marie snapped.

"Uh...," Christina started, "Someone took them..."

"Well, it was kind of the price for you be here right now," Elizabeth elaborated.

"Someone gave away my things?" Marie fumed. At the edgy glances she got in response, she glared, "Who gave away my things?"

XxXxX

"Yo ho, Yo ho..." Jack's angry singing slowly quieted as he looked up from where he sat to see the pick pocket storming towards him, followed by Christina and Elizabeth. Will looked up from showing Ross how to tie a clove hitch and both were quickly on the way behind the women.

"Are you Jack Sparrow?" the pick pocket demanded once she stood before him, scowling down at him in what Jack could only imagine the lass thought was a _very_ intimidating manner.

"No," he replied simply, looking away with obvious disinterest and disdain.

"Yes, you are," the girl pressed, tending huffily to her cap.

"No, I'm not," Jack stated again, his slight amusement at the girl's stubbornness to maintain the facade that she was a boy quickly failing.

The girl stepped closer so that she was well and truly glaring down her nose at him, lifting herself ever so slightly on the balls of her feet to make her minuscule height that much more notable, "You are the _Captain_ of this ship, are you not?"

Jack bared his teeth in a very small smile of recognition, "Ah, ye do have the right person then. What do you want?"

"Where are my things?"

"_Your_ things? I have no recollection of _your_ things being taken from your person."

The pick pocket huffed, "The valuables that were on my person. Where are they, pirate?"

Jack stared at the girl coldly. With a less than joyous smirk, he stood to his feet and in the same motion, towering over her (very rare for the man), "The valuables were used to stop your person being belted to a pulp, if I recall correctly and I do. They're gone. Disposed of. Not yours in the first place. So now we've got that sorted, was there anything else because as truly delightful it has been having you aboard, lass, I would be much obliged if y'got your person off me ship."

Unable to glower up at Jack any longer without feeling a complete fool, Marie looked away, pulling her hat down and hoping no one had noticed that the pirate had called her 'lass'. Jack smirked in satisfaction, turning the girl's shoulders so that she was facing the gangplank. She turned her head to glare at him once more before stomping defiantly off the Pearl, her chin high in the air as she disappeared into the dead with day Tortuga.

"Well, glad that little mess is taken care of," Jack flicked the air in the direction where the girl had gone before sitting back down, "Won't be seeing her again."

XxXxX

NinetalesLuver: _'Course I'm continuing, luv. Angry reviews are fine. I don't mind in the least. I find them amusing in fact. And the romance is coming... sometime soon... really soon... I promise..._

Whims: _Oh, good, so it is rather obvious that Chris and Jack are together in a sense... I just didn't want to go into detail and have to get all soppy. You all just have to accept it, alright? Ha. I liked the last part, where's that from?_

Holly Rox: _Thankye fer both times, luv._

crystalvoicedcamelotlady: _Aye, Jack has a kind side and it has to surface sometimes. He tries his best to hide it but, ah well._

chaos spirit: _Ah, but I can stop there, lass. (evil laugh) Sorry, I just love the cruel endings, they're so much fun. And yer brilliant at this, luv. Cheers fer the review._

The Flying Breadstick: _Jetlag is the worst. I understand. I don't think the last chapter was too confusing... bah. Yes, updates are getting slower (quite the opposite of yours). I just have SO MUCH homework. I know, you think girls called Suzie Summer who have blonde hair and blue eyes and dropped out of highschool in year 10 are the only ones who go to beauty school and do perfectly fine with it. But, there are too many muscles, too many types of tissues, too many skin disorders and too many chemicals to remember... My God, it's like becoming a nurse. But, anyways, that's my excuse for not updating very often. And both of my parents are sick so I'm cooking for ten each night as well as working. This year has to end very very soon or I am going to keel over and die... I know, dramatic but, eh. Thanks for the review._

wayunlucky13: _See, pick pocket gone. For now... And they couldn't of left him/her/whichever you fancy really._

Capt'n Raven Most feared pirate of the sea: _Yes, you're supposed to feel sorry for the pick pocket... sort of... not really in this chapter. I'm not sure, it's up to you. I'd hate to break a rib. I haven't broken anything yet. I cringe just thinking about it... yuck. Well, I guess ouch is more appropriate. Trust me, anyone can write. Just take your time and you'll be fine. As soon as I've stopped doing assignments for this week, I'll give your story my full attention and review, ok? Thanks for the review!_


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